The present invention relates to poultry processing apparatus and more particularly to a unique apparatus for removing the skin from poultry pieces, such as turkey thighs.
Heretofore, various methods and machines have been used to increase the productivity of poultry processing operations. Such operations include the evisceration of a poultry carcass and separation of the carcass into its various component parts for subsequent processing, packaging and sale. The component parts may be subjected to deboning operations, skin removal operations and the like. Examples of machines developed to separate the parts may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,016,624, entitled POULTRY CUT-UP MACHINE and issued on Apr. 12, 1977 to Martin et al; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,385,421, entitled POULTRY LEG/BACK PROCESSOR and issued on May 31, 1983 to Martin.
Devices have been developed to remove skin from certain parts of poultry, such as necks, thighs and breasts. Many of these devices employ a set or pair of parallel, elongated rolls or rollers. The rollers have an intermeshing, spiral or helical cut configuration. The parallel rollers engage the skin and tear or pull the skin from the poultry part. Examples of these types of devices may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,119,144 entitled POULTRY GIZZARD PEELING ROLLS and issued on Jan. 28, 1964 to Hill; U.S. Pat. No. 3,579,714, entitled GIZZARD PROCESSING DEVICE and issued on May 25, 1971 to Edwards, Sr; U.S. Pat. No. 3,930,282, entitled MACHINE FOR PROCESSING THE BACKS OF POULTRY and issued on Jan. 6, 1976 to Martin et al; U.S. Pat. No. 3,930,283, entitled MACHINE FOR REMOVING SKIN FROM PIECES OF POULTRY and issued on Jan. 6, 1976 to Martin; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,073,040, entitled MACHINE FOR PROCESSING OF POULTRY GIZZARDS and issued on Feb. 14, 1978 to Hill.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,930,283 discloses an embodiment for processing poultry necks which includes a disc knife intersecting a channel formed between the upper portions of a pair of rolls. The disc knife slits the skin of the necks of poultry. The rolls have intermeshing, spiral configurations which engage the skin and pull the skin from the neck. In another embodiment, a chain-type feeder or conveyor engages a thigh or breast part and moves the part so that the skin is held against a pair of spiral rolls. The rolls engage and remove the skin from the part.
A need exists for a reliable and efficient poultry processing apparatus for removing the skin from poultry parts, such as turkey thighs, and which will accommodate different size poultry parts.